Blue Devils
| 04/16/25 @ Waterloo | 9 |
| 04/14/25 @ McDonald | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Liberty | 6 |
| 04/07/25 @ Jackson-Milton | 13 |
| 04/05/25 @ East | 3 |
| + 2 more games |
Western Reserve and Mineral Ridge are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Blue Devils will welcome the Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Western Reserve is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Western Reserve needed a bit of extra time to put away Waterloo. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 victory over the Vikings. While the Blue Devils didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
The team relied heavily on Evan Slaven, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Connor Jones, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Slaven wasn't the only one making solid contact: Western Reserve kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Mineral Ridge's good fortune finally ran out on Wednesday. They took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of Lakeview.
AJ Sandy made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Mineral Ridge's defeat dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Western Reserve, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Mineral Ridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western Reserve has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .449. It's a different story for Mineral Ridge, though, as they've only averaged .290. Will they be able to contain Western Reserve's hitters?
Western Reserve might still be hurting after the 11-5 loss they got from Mineral Ridge in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Blue Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
